Silk-screen printing machine for printing on cylindrical objects



3, 1968 FJF. H. BROCKMANN 3,363,481

. SILK-SCREEN PRINTING MACHINE] FOR PRINTING ON CYLINDRICAL OBJECTS File d March '5, 1965 s Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 13. 1968 F. F. H. BROCKMANN 3,368,431 SILK-SCREEN PRINTING MACHINE FOR PRINTING ON CYLINDRICAL OBJECTS Filed March 3, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet, z

I Feb. 13, 1968 F. F. H. BROCKMANN 3,368,481

SILK-SCREEN PRINTING MACHINE FOR PRINTING ON CYLINDRICAL OBJECTS Filed March 5, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet '5 Feb. 13, 1968 F. F. H. BROCKMANN 3,

SILK-SCREEN PRINTING MACHINE FOR PRINTING 0N CYLINDRICAL OBJECTS v 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 5, 1965 Feb. 13. 1968 v F. F. H. BROCK NN 3,363,481

SILK-SCREEN PRINTING MACH FOR PRINTING ON CYLINDRICAL OBJECTS Filed March 5, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fig. 5

United States Patent 3,368,481 SILK-SCREEN PRINTING MACHINE FOR PRINT- ING ON CYLINDRI'CAL OBJECTS Franz F. H. Brockmann, 3536 Westheim, Westphalia, Germany Filed Mar. 3,1965, Ser. N 0. 436,729 Claims priority, application Germany, Mar. 6, 1964,

B i '10 Claims. (Cl. 101-40) ABSTRACT OF THE DESCLDSURE The disclosure relates to a silk-screen printing machine for printing cylindrical objects such as bottles, can, containers, and the like by means of a reciprocating silkscreen and associated printing equipment. Axially spaced retaining means are provided in which the bottles or the like are mounted, and these retaining means are mounted on a turret device rotatable about a preferably horizontal axis. The turret device moves the objects to be imprinted from a loading station to a working station in which the objects are engaged with the silk-screen to be imprinted thereby. The station immediately in advance of the working station is an indexing or adjusting station wherein the article may be indexed to a certain relative angular position in annular retaining means so that, when the bottle is brought into registry with the silk screen, the printing will begin at a predetermined point on the periphery of the bottle or other article.

The retaining means comprise annular rings or the like, and these rings are arranged to be clutched to a rotatable shell on the adjusting or indexing means for rotation of the article. The bottom of the article, such as a bottle, is usually provided with an indexing groove or recess, and a pin is provided in association with the indexing means so that, as the indexing means rotates the bottle, this pin will engage in the indexing means of the bottle and retain the bottle against further rotation, a slip-type of drive being provided for the indexing means shell so that the shell is also halted in this position. The indexing means is then retracted from the article and the turret is advanced a step to the entrainment station wherein a second rotatable shell is advanced into clutching relation wtih the retaining ring holding the article. Associated with the second rotatable shell is an electric indexing finger which is arranged to engage in registry with the aforementioned notch in the end of the article. As the screen is then advanced, gearing interconnecting the screen and the entraining means rotates the entraining means, together with the retaining ring and the article, to imprint the desired information on the cylindrical surface of the article.

An important feature of the disclosure is that both the indexing or adjusting means and the entrainment means are mounted on a common support plate which is reciprocable axially of the turret, and means are provided, in driving association with the main drive of the printing apparatus, to retract this support plate during advance of the turret and to project this support plate when the turret is stationary so that one article is properly indexed while a second article is being imprinted.

Background of the invention The invention relates to a silk-screen printing machine with a reciprocating screen device to the underside of which are applied, intermittently, objects to be printed, by means of a revolving feeding attachment equipped with holding or retaining members for detachably mounting these objects, wherein the said screening device is provided with these objects in advance of the screen, as viewed in its sense of rotation, and releases these objects 3,368,481 Patented Feb. 13, 1968 Ice after printing thereof by the screen, and comprising driving means for intermittently actuating the feeding attachment, an entrainment mechanism for an object adjacent the screen, and adjusting means for an object immediately in advance of the screen.

For silk-screen printing, two adjustments of the object relative to the screen are required. One adjustment relates to the overall positioning of the object relative to the screen and the other adjustment to the positioning or indexing of a certain part of the object relative to the screen. This latter adjustment is of special importance where several imprints, for example, in different colors are to be applied to the object to be printed.

For the adjustment or indexing of a certain part of the object relative to the screen, the object may be movable, for example, rotatable, in its retaining member or therewith. It is known that certain objects, for example, bottles, have gradually deepening grooves with a shoudered end in the bottom and that movable devices equipped with a projecting pin are used for the adjustment. The pin engages into one of the grooves and is rotated against the shoulder or offset end in order to entrain the same into a predetermined position and to adjust in this manner the rotational position of the object.

The present invention has the object of providing a silk-screen printing machine wherein the position of the object relative to the screen, and in this position also the position of a certain part of the object relative to the screen, may be adjusted to a high degree of accuracy by simple means.

The term screen as used in this specification comprises the entire screening device with the screen itself and the doctor arranged thereon. More particularly, the invention relates to a screening device with reciprocating screen under which the object to be printed is rotatably mounted, wherein the doctor is substantially stationary relative to the object, and may be, for example, movable in height.

The objects to be printed may be, for example, tins, cans or bottles.

According to the present invention the object outlined above is realized in that the intermittently rotatable, rigid, feeding attachment is constructed after the manner of a turret head and is equipped, at least on one side, with holding means adaptable to the size and/or shape of the object and comprising further an adjusting device directly engaging the object and an entrainment device which becomes elfective during the printing and is movable as a function of the screen movement. Compared with hitherto known arrangements, the present arrangement offers the advantage of requiring only one adjusting mechanism in order to index the object into a certain position relative to the screen even though this indexing alignment may take place before the object to be printed reaches the screen.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the said adjusting device and the entrainment device are separate and engage different retaining means; the entrainment device engages a retaining means which holds an object to be printed against the screen and the adjusting device engages a retaining means which holds the object to be printed during the next step of the feeding attachment in spaced relationship relative to the screen.

According to the invention, this is possible only by means of the turret-type construction of the feeding attachment which ensures a definite and positive positioning of the object already before the same reaches the screen, contrary to hitherto known chain drives.

In this embodiment it is no longer necessary for the entrainment device to be equipped with a so-called finger which engages into a recess in the bottom of the object, because the adjustment to be produced by this finger may 3 be carried out already in spaced relationship from the screen in conjunction with a turret head type feeding attachment. This has the advantage of saving a considerable amount of time, because the object itself need no longer be rotated after it has been moved into the operating position adjacent to the screen.

Preferably the adjusting and entrainment devices, respectively, are simultaneously brought into engagement with calibrated surfaces of the retaining means, located with clearance in the feeding attachment, with a view to adjusting the same. In this manner, the objects are mounted rigidly or immovably in the retaining means, and the retaining means are themselves controlled for adjusting the feeding attachment.

Preferably, the retaining means are mounted with clearance and/ or resiliently in the feeding attachment. In order to render the retaining means adapted to different objects in a self-adjusting manner, the said retaining means may be of a pincer-like construction and may be detachable relative to the object to be printed under the action of the adjusting device.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the retaining means are rings, fitted with axial and radial play into the feeding attachment, and having on the one side a recess adapted to receive one end of a vessel and on the other side a preferably conical adjusting face. This play has simultaneously the advantage that the movement of the retaining means in the feeding attachment is substantially friction-free.

According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, annular retaining means are movably, and preferably rotatably, located between mounting disks which are mounted in their turn detachably on the feeding attachrnent, wherein the radially outermost peripheral section of the mounting disks is flattened tangentially to the annular retaining means. The mounting disks may be at least partially of circular design. By these means, the device may be easily adapted to different vessels and containers.

Conveniently, with the use of devices for the adjustment and entrainment, movable axially relative to the objects under the action of the control of the machine, and of which at least the former is equipped with a projecting pin which may be brought into engagement with the gradually deepending groove in the bottom of the vessel, these devices are mounted, corresponding to the arrangement of the retaining means in the feeding attachment, on an are on a common carrier, actuable as a function of the operating rhythm of the drive of the feeding attachment so that the adjusting devices become effective when the feeding attachment is stationary. Preferably, a friction drive is provided for actuating the adjusting device, determining the setting of one point in accurate alignment to the screen, that is to say, a position which the object assumes under the screen relative to the feeding attachment.

Preferably, the retaining arrangement consists of a retaining or holding means adjustable in the feeding attachment, and engaging one end of the object, and an elastically attachable counter element, movable in the direction of the feed, and adapted to be moved into and out of the engagement position under the action of a cam drive. According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention there is provided a driving link between the screen or the screen carrier and the entrainment device, and drivingly connected at least with the object, and preferably with the retaining means.

Further advantage and features of the invention will become apparent from the following description, given by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawing, and from the claims appended hereto. In the said drawings:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatical side elevation of the machine in partial cross-section, showing only several elements thereof, required for the explanation of its operation;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of a part of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, explaining the arrangement of the retaining means;

FIG. 3 is a cross-section taken along the line IIIIII in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-section and shows one retaining element in engagement with an adjusting device;

FIG. 5 is a partial view illustrating the arrangement of the adjusting devices on the machine, certain parts having been omitted for the sake of clarity; and

FIG. 6 is a front elevation of the arrangement of FIG. 5 partly shown in cross-section.

The screen printing machine shown in FIG. 1 has a main frame 1 with a housing 2, adapted to receive the transmission unit and driving means. The said frame 1 is connected to a base plate '3, which is connected in turn with a bearing side plate 4 mounted on the opposite side.

Mounted on the housing part 2 are the screen 5 with the necessary equipment such as the doctor and the like, located on a guide 119 along which they are reciprocable perpendicularly to the plane of the drawing. The mounting means and the driving means are not shown in detail; these parts are generally known in the art and are mounted withi the housing part 2.

Underneath the screen 5, there is arranged a turret headshaped feeding attachment, shown generally at 6. This attachment is mounted on a shaft 7, protruding from the housing part 2 and connected there with driving means, not shown in detail, and indicated, by way of example, at 126 in FIG. 4. The shaft 7, mounted in bearing means 127' of the housing part 2, is connected with the driving means by transmissions 128, 129. The shaft 7 carries, by means of a hub arrangement 8, 9, a turret head shaped driving pulley 10, forming part of the feeding attachment; this driving pulley is shown in FIG. 2 under the same reference numeral. It has substantially circular recesses 11, 12, 13, 14 which may be stepped or shouldered, as shown in FIG. 1, and in which mounting disks 15, 16, and so on are arranged. These mounting disks have round mounting apertures 17, 18, in which retaining means are movably mounted. These retaining means have the shape of rings 19, 20 and will be described in greater detail in the following.

The turret head-shaped feeding attachment comprises further a circular carrier 21, arranged on the remote end of the shaft 7 and containing counter elements 22, 23, axially aligned with the retaining means 19, 20, and movable to and fro in the axial direction of the shaft, that is to say, parallel thereto, against the force of springs 24, 25. Within the region of this carrier 21, the shaft 7 is supported in a bearing arrangement 26 of the mounting side wall 4. The said carrier 21 is mounted on the shaft 7 in a hub bearing 27 so that it is fitted to rotate with shaft 7 but can move axially to and fro on the said shaft. An adjusting arm 28, the lower end 29 of which is guided in an adjusting device 30, is shiftable axially with carrier 21 but is not rotatable therewith. Adjusting device 30 is adjustable along the guide Guide 120 is movable longitudinally, and has a downwardly directed extension 32 which is in the form of a nut threadedly engaged with a spindle 31 rotatably mounted in the frame. Spindle 31 is rotatable by means of a machine drive 121. The adjustment is effected in accordance with the size of the objects. The adjusting arm 28 carries a cam 33 which is L-shaped cross-section and arcuate in elevation in a plane perpendicular to FIG. 1, the are being centered on the axis of shaft 7. Cam 28 has a cam track 34 which tapers from the center of the arc to each end thereof. In the lowermost portion, at the center of the arc the said cam track 34 is furthest removed from the carrier 21, whilst it approaches gradually the carrier 21 upwardly along its two branches or horns. The counterelements 22, 23 are guided by means of the said springs 24, 25 in supports 35, 36 on the carrier 21, equipped with sleeve-shaped retaining members 122, 123. These supports have externally projecting cam rollers 37, 38 rotatably mounted about axes extending radially of the supports; these rollers engage the cam track 34 and enable an object, not shown, to be supplied or taken off in the region of the lowermost position, by retracting the counter-element 23 from the retaining means 20.

FIG. 2 shows, by way of example, the circular arrangement of six retaining means 19, 20, as hereinbefore described. The mounting disks are so flattened on their outermost sections 39, 40 that they approach tangentially the annular retaining means 19, 20. The mounting disks may be m0unted, for example, by three screws 41, 42, 43 in the said steps or shoulders 13, 14.

In FIG. 4, the parts corresponding to the preceding drawings are shown under the same reference numerals. FIG. 4 shows the entrainment device which corresponds to some extent to the adjusting device, but fulfils another task, being associated with the screen and merely transmitting the movement of the same.

It may be seen that the retaining ring 19 is mounted with both axial and radial clearance in the mounting aperture 17. The retaining ring 19 has an arcuate cross-section angular recess 47, corresponding in its configuration to that of the bottom of the object to be printed. Behind this recess, the outer periphery of the bearing ring is undercut to form a seating surface 48, comprising an obliquely extending annular shoulder 49 which cooperates with a correspondingly shaped surface 50 on the mounting disk and causes the retaining ring to be centered. An abutment ring 51 is recessed into the seating surface 48 and may engage the rear Wall of the mounting disk 15. The distance of ring 51 from the surface 49 is such that the axial clearance is adhered to.

The retaining ring 19 has also, at its end remote from the arcuate recess 47, a conical adjusting surface 52 which may, for example, extend inwardly.

This adjusting surface 52 may engage a correspondingly formed mating adjusting surface on the annular shell 53 of an entrainment device shown generally at 54. The head of this entrainment device consists of a housing with an annular shell 53, movable axially to and fro, and an inner adjusting body 55 which is reciprocable axially with the outer housing but is rotatable relative thereto. For example, this body 55 may be guided on a spindle 56.

Mounted within the said body 55 is a spring loaded pin 57, protruding therefrom axially and eccentrically; this pin engages into a bottom groove of the object to be printed and retained by the retaining ring 19.

The pin 57 serves as an abutment and as entrainment means. A rotational movement is transmitted by a gear wheel 116, mounted on a bush 117 which surrounds and drives the spindle 56. The said gear wheel 116 mates with a rack 118, mounted on the screen and reciprocated therewith by the main drive of the machine. The rotation of the bush is transmitted to the spindle 56 and therefore to the head 55 and the pin 57 while the pin 57 causes the object to be entrained and rotated in accordance with the movement of the screen. In addition thereto, the retaining ring 19 is free to rotate.

The gear wheel 116 and the rack 118 are shown in FIG. 1. The width of the rack 118 is such that the rack 118 remains in engagement with the gear 116 when the entrainment device of the spindle 56 is moved to and fro, for example, by the movement of a plate 78, described hereinafter. It may be seen that the engagement of the adjusting surface 52 produces an axial alignment of the retaining ring 19 relative to the annular shell 53..

This causes the retaining ring to be lifted olf the periphery of the aperture 17 and to be guided rotatively by the said spindle 56 at low friction by means of bearings 58 and 59.

If the screen 5 now moves in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the drawing, it entrains, through its drive 116, 117, the object so that this object, retained in the retaining ring 19, is also rotatively aligned with the screen and moved in synchronization with the reciprocating movement of the screen.

If the driving pulley 10 in FIG. 2 is rotated in the direction of the arrow 61, the rotational adjustment is effected in the working station 62 preceding the topmost station in the other figures and having the retaining ring 19. The means used for this purpose corresponds to some extent to the part 54 in FIG. 4 andis shown at 63 in FIG. 5. Its association with the part 54 may be seen in FIG. 5 from the fact that part of the spindle 56 is shown. Reference numeral 54 signifies the entrainment device and reference numeral 63 (FIG. 5) the adjusting device. Also the latter has an axially protruding pin 64, corresponding to the pin 57, and an annular shell 65 with a conical adjusting surface 66; the said annular shell 65 corresponds to the annular shell 53.

The annular shell, guided freely rotatably and after the manner of a housing on a spindle, similar to the annular shell 53, is rotatably mounted on a spindle 130. The annular shell 66 is rotatably mounted on the spindle 130 by means of a bush 67. This bush is connected with a drive 70 by means of a friction wheel 69 driven by a spring clutch 68. The said spindle 130 is mounted through bearing means 131 in a support plate 78, described in detail in the following. It should be pointed out that the bush 67, and with it also the annular shell 66, are mounted on the spindle 130 so that they are axially movable thereon.

The pin 64 is stationary in its position relative to the carrying device, such as a plate 78, while the annular shell 65, corresponding to the annular shell 53 in FIG. 4, may be driven. Thus, the pin 64 may be mounted, for example, on a head 124 arranged on the fixed spindle 130. The said annular shell 65 is axially movable relative to the inner head 124 so that the annular shell 65 may be pushed forward over the head. This is effected by means of a spring 132 between the bush 67 and its mounting arrangement 131. This arrangement enables, during the forward movement of the adjusting device, the annular shell 65 to make contact by means of its adjusting surface 66 with the retaining means and to rotate the latter, while the retaining means holds the object to be printed, until the pin 64, mounted rigidly on the supporting arrangement, engages properly into the bottom groove of the object, forming an abutment therefor and causing the object to remain in this position, while the driving means for shell 65 slip.

The spindle or bush 67 is formed integrally with the annular shell 65 so that the rotation of the bush 67 is transferred to the annular shell. When the further rotation of'the annular shell 65 is prevented by the abutment of the object against the pin 64, the friction wheel 69 slips on bush 67 so that the adjustment is maintained until the friction wheel, which is coupled with its driving shaft through the slipping clutch 68, is lifted off bush 67.

The arrangements 54, 63 are arranged on an arc, corresponding to the partial circle 71 in FIG. 2. The arrangements 54, 63 are here arranged on a fixed base plate 78, and arranged in the plane of FIG. 5 on a wall 81 of the housing part 2 on telescopically compressible rams 70, 80. These rams are surrounded by return springs 82, 83. The whole unit in FIG. 5 arranged in front of the wall 81 is shown generally at 127 (see also FIG. 4).

The reciprocating movement of the plate 78 is eifected by a multiple linkage 84, 85, 86, 87, 88 (FIGS. 5 and 6). The last arm 88 carries a cam follower 89 running in a cam track 90 of a cam driven by the main drive of the machine and moving in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 6.

Finally it should also be mentioned that the spindle 56 is rotatablein bearing means 133 in the base plate 78 but not axially displaceable relative to the latter so that, together with the spindle, the whole entrainment device 54 may be axially displaced. The lever 84 is articulately connected to a pivot 134 in a lug 135 of the plate 78. The levers 84 and 85 are interconnected by a shaft 138 guided in lugs 137, 136 on the wall 81. The lever 85 is connected to the guide arm or lever 86 by means of a pin 139, and this guide arm or lever 86 is connected to a pin 140 engaging an arm of the lever 87 forming a crank. This crank 87 is connected with a rocker shaft 141 located in a bearing lug 142, and connected, on the other side of the wall 81 which is formed with an aperture at this point (see (FIG. 6), with the arm 88, carrying the cam follower 89. The cam track 90 is formed in a cam, the axis 143 of which is mounted in the housing part 2 and connected through a transmission 143' with the main driving means.

According to FIG. 6, the driving wheel 69 is mounted with its drive 125 on a pivot arm 92 pivoted at 91 in the housing part 2. On the pivot arm 92 is an arm 94, the length of which may be adjusted by means of an adjusting device 93, and arm 94 carries a cam follower 95. This cam follower 95 runs in a cam track 96 of a cam plate 97, driven in synchronism with the cam track 90 by the main driving means 126 of the machine, in order to bring about the engagement between the drive pulley 69, in the direction of the arrow 98 during the stopping of the feeding attachment, and the adjusting device 63, and to cause the pulley 69 to be lifted off before the movement of the feeding attachment.

The cam plate 97 is mounted in the housing part 2. The axis or spindle of the cam plate 97 is shown at 144, and the transmission between the cam plate and the main drive means at 145.

Having thus fully disclosed the invention, what is claimed as new and is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A screen printing machine, comprising, in combination, a frame; a unit consisting of a screen and a doctor; guide means on said frame mounting said screen for horizontal reciprocation; a feeding turret including a turret mounting shaft; means rotatably mounting said shaft in said frame; plural retaining means mounted on said feeding turret in an annular arrangement concentric with said turret shaft and adapted to receive objects to be printed; driving means connected to said screen and to said feeding turret to reciprocate said screen and to rotate said feeding turret intermittently while the screen is stationary; said feeding turret being arranged for mounting of an object in said retaining means in advance of said screen and for movement of the object into engagement with the underside of said screen; said retaining means being spaced at substantially equal angular distances on said turret about said shaft; said frame including a frame wall; said turret being arranged adjacent said frame wall; bearing means mounted on said frame wall; object adjusting means and object entraining means mounted on said bearing means and engageable and disengageable relative to objects positioned in said retaining means; said entraining means being positioned at a work station at which an object is adjacent said screen; and said adjusting means being positioned at a work station immediately in advance of the work station at which said entraining means is positioned; driving means interconnecting said entraining means and said screen and rotating and indexed object, engaged by said entraining means, in synchr-onism with the reciprocating movement of said screen; driving mechanism interconnecting said bearing means to said driving means and operable to shift said bearing means axially of said turret shaft to move said adjusting means and said entraining means axially into and out of engagement with objects mounted in said retaining means; said adjusting means including a non-rotatable abutment engageable with a cooperating abutment in the end of an object mounted in said retaining means and including a rotatable element engageable with said end of an object mounted in said retaining means to rotate the object until said abutment engages in said cooperating abutment to angularly index the object, before engagement thereof by said entraining means, to engage a selected surface portion of the object with said screen; a transmission, including a slip clutch, interconnecting said driving means and said adjusting means and operable to .rotate said adjusting means until said abutment engages in said cooperating abutment and then to permit said retaining means to remain stationary; said entraining means including a second abutment engageable with said cooperating abutment in the end of the object whereby to rotate the object in synchronism with the reciprocating movement of said screen.

2. A screen printing machine comprising, in combination, a frame; a unit consisting of a screen and a doctor; guide means on said frame mounting said screen for horizontal reciprocation; a feeding device movably mounted in said frame; plural retaining means on said feeding device and adapted to receive objects to be printed, the objects being supplied to the feeding device, received by the latterand moved thereby intermittently and successively to said screen to receive impressions; said feeding device comprising a turret including a turret mounting shaft rotatably mounted in said frame; driving means for said machine; transmission means interconnecting said driving means to said shaft to rotate the latter intermittently; said retaining means being spaced at equal angular distances on said turret about said shaft; said frame having a frame wall; said turret, including at least parts of said retaining means, being arranged adjacent said frame wall; bearing means mounted on said frame wall; an object adjusting device and an object entraining device mounted on said bearing means, and engageable and disengageable relative to objects positioned in said retaining means; said adjusting device angularly indexing an object on said turret, before engagement of the object by said entraining means, to engage a selected surface portion of the object with said screen; driving means interconnecting said entraining device and said screen and rotating an indexed object, engaged by said entraining device, in synchronism with the reciprocating movement of said screen; said retaining means being arranged with clearance within the feeding device and the adjusting and entraining devices having centering lugs for the retaining means, having oblique surfaces with which the lugs come into engagement in order to lift the retaining means in the feeding device off their supporting surfaces.

3. In a screen printing machine of the type including a reciprocable screening device with a doctor, and a rotatable turret disk formed with angularly spaced recesses receiving retainer means adapted to receive objects to be printed, the turret disk being stepped angularly to move the articles between successive stations including a working station at the screening device; the improvement comprising an indexing station in advance of said working station; said retaining means comprising axially open members held with axial and radial clearance in said disk recesses and each having, at one axial end, a seating recess arranged to receive one end of an object and, at the opposite axial end, a conical clutch surface; an adjusting device at said indexing station extendable into engagement with the clutch surface of an annular retaining member then at the indexing station, and through such latter annular retaining member from said opposite end thereof to engage an object mounted at said one end thereof, to adjust the object angularly to an indexed position; and entraining means at said working station extendable into engagement with the clutch surface of an annular retaining member then at the working station, and through such latter annular retaining member from said opposite end thereof to engage an object mounted in said one end thereof, and rotatable in synchronism with reciprocation of said screening device to rotate the object during printing thereof by said screening device.

4. A screen printing machine comprising, in combination, a frame; a unit consisting of a screen and a doctor;

guide means on said frame mounting said screen for horizontal reciprocation; a feeding device movably mounted in said frame; plural retaining means on said feeding device and adapted to receive objects to be printed, the objects being supplied to the feeding device, received by the latter and moved thereby intermittently and successively to said screen to receive impressions; said feeding device comprising a turret including a turret mounting shaft rotatably mounted in said frame; driving means for said machine; transmission means interconnecting said driving means to said shaft to rotate the latter intermittently; said retaining means being spaced at equal angular distances on said turret about said shaft; said frame having a frame wall; said turret, including at least parts of said retaining means, being arranged adjacent said frame wall; bearing means mounted on said frame wall; an object adjusting device and an object entraining device mounted on said bearing means, and engageable and disengageable relative'to objects positioned in said retaining means; said adjusting device angularly indexing an object on said turret, before engagement of the object by said entraining means, to engage a selected surface portion of the object with said screen; driving means interconnecting said entraining device and said screen and rotating an indexed object, engaged by said entraining device, in synchronism with the reciprocating movement of said screen; said feeding device having a disk equipped with recesses adapted to receive the retaining means; and wherein the said retaining means are annular members held with axial and radial clearance in the said recesses and having on one side a recess adapted to receive one end of an object and on the other side a conical adjusting surface which make contact successively with the adjusting device and with the entraining device.

5. A device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the said recesses are arranged in mounting disks and the said disk has part-circular recesses with shouldered edges in which the mounting disks are detachably located, wherein the radially outwardly facing peripheral sections of the said mounting disks are flattened tangentially to the annular retaining means.

6. A screen printing machine comprising, in combination, a frame; a unit consisting of a screen and a doctor; guide means on said frame mounting said screen for horizontal reciprocation; a feeding device movably mounted in said frame; plural retaining means on said feeding device and adapted to receive objects to be printed, the objects being supplied to the feeding device, received by the latter and moved thereby intermittently and successively to said screen to receive impressions; said feeding device comprising a turret including a turret mounting shaft rotatably mounted in said frame; driving means for said machine; transmission means interconnecting said driving means to. said shaft to rotate the latter intermittently; said retaining means being spaced at equal angular distances on said turret about said shaft; said frame having a frame wall; said turret, including at least parts of said retaining means, being arranged adjacent said frame wall; bearing means mounted on said frame wall; an object adjusting device and an object entraining device mounted on said bearing means, and engageable and disengageable relative to objects positioned in said retaining means; said adjusting device angularly indexing an object on said turret, before engagement of the object by said entraining means, to engage a selected surface portion of the object with said screen; driving means interconnecting said entraining device and said screen and rotating an indexed object, engaged by said entraining device, in synchr-onism with the reciprocating movement of said screen; said objects having a bottom with a grad ually deepening groove, forming a concentric part-circular recess in the bottom, and wherein the entraining device and the adjusting device each have a projecting pin which may be brought into engagement with the said groove, wherein the entraining device has a first said pin ac-tuable in accordance with the semi-circular curve of the said recess, and associated with actuating means actuable as a function of the movement of the screen; and wherein the adjusting device has an annular shell structure which engages a retaining means, said annular shell structure being associated with a slipping clutch for driving the same, the said slipping clutch being associated with a driving unit within the main frame, while the second said projecting pin of the adjusting device remains in a certain position relative to the device so that an object is rotated by the annular shell structure until the projecting pin of the adjusting device reaches an abutment in the groove of the object.

7. A-device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the adjusting device and the entraining device are arranged on a reciprocatingly movable carrier, constituted by said hearing and the annular shell structure is resiliently supported on the carrier in order to produce a resilient engagement with the retaining means.

8. A device as claimed in claim 7, comprising a drive for the said carrier, said drive being so actuable as a function of the working stroke of the drive of the feeding device that the adjusting device and the entraining device engage the associated retaining means when the feeding device is at standstill.

9. A device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the annular shell structure is axially movable relative to the pin of the adjusting device and a head carrying the same, and comprising a spring resting on the one hand against a bearing means for the adjusting device on the carrier and on the other hand on a part of the annular shell structure.

10. A screen printing machine comprising, in combination, a frame; a unit consisting of a screen and a doctor; guide means on said frame mounting said screen for horizontal reciprocation; a feeding device movably mounted in said frame; plural retaining means on said feeding device and adapted to receive objects to be printed, the objects being supplied to the feeding device, received by the latter and moved thereby intermittently and successively to said screen to receive impressions; said feeding device comprising a turret including a turret mounting shaft rotatably mounted in said frame; driving means for said machine; transmission means interconnecting said driving means to said shaft to rotate the latter intermittently; said retaining means being spaced at equal angular distances on said turret about said shaft; said frame having a frame wall; said turret, including at least parts of said retaining means, being arranged adjacent said frame wall; bearing means mounted on said frame wall; an object adjusting device and an object entraining device mounted on said bearing means, and engageable and disengageable relative to objects positioned in said retaining means; said adjusting device angularly indexing an object on said turret, before engagement of the object by said entraining means, to engage a selected surface portion of the object with said screen; driving means interconnecting said entraining device and said screen and .rotating an indexed object, engaged by said entraining device, in synchr-onism with the reciprocating movement of said screen; each retaining means including a first and a second element, of which the first element engages the bottom of an object and the second element, which is axially aligned with the first element, but spaced therefrom, engages the other end of the said object; said feeding device having two disks mounted on a shaft, second bearing means are provided in the frame and the said shaft is located in these second bearing means; and said retaining means comprising a group of first elements in one disk and in axial alignment thereto a group of second elements in the other disk, the arrangement for the said second elements comprising spring means whereby the said second elements are urged in their axial direction towards the said first elements and are movable in the reverse direction against the action of the spring and wherein the second elements are provided with a cam which 1 1 co-operates with a cam track arranged in the frame at a supply and a delivery point for the objects, in order to move the first and second elements towards each other or away from each other.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 12 E Johnson 101-424 Turner 101-40 Hugerman 101124 Jones et a1 101124 DAVID KLEIN, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT E. PULFREY, Examiner.

H. P. EWELL, Assistant Examiner. 

